Baby Blues
by Sandylee007
Summary: A very unpleasant encounter with a bizarre item from the future leads to major changes in Ianto's body. And it's only the beginning to all the changes about to come. Jack is worried but also very excited. How will this affect their relationship? And Ianto? MPREG JANTO SLASH
1. A Bite of Change

A/N: Okay, so… This idea hit me like a bolt of lightning a couple of days ago and REFUSED to leave. So I couldn't really do anything but let my fingers type. (smirks sheepishly)

DISCLAIMER: ME own?! C'MON! If I DID own, Ianto, Tosh and Owen definitely wouldn't have died.

WARNINGS: MPREG, SLASH, violence, a bit of gore, adult themes, LANGUAGE (c'mon, there's Owen…!)… Hmm, I'm pretty sure that that's the most important. Oh yeah, and total weirdness! One musn't forget about that with a story from me.

TAKES PLACE: Slightly after Gwen's wedding.

Awkay, this is my first 'TW' chapter fic so I'm REALLY nervous. That's why I'd better dash right in before I change my mind. Soooooo… Let's go! I REALLY hope that you'll enjoy the ride.

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><p><strong><em>Baby Blues<em>**

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><p>A Bite of Change<p>

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><p>Someone randomly popping up to the Hub would've probably imagined that the four of them weren't exactly right from their heads. There were thoughtful looks on their faces as they'd gathered around a small device that looked like a metallic egg on a short metallic stick. There were engravings on it, either decorations or some language that they couldn't quite understand. It was another object the Rift spat out. Immediate tests had proven it harmless, with nothing toxic and free of radiation, but even after an hour of brainstorm they couldn't figure out what it was.<p>

"Maybe it's a futuristic sex toy", Dr. Owen Harper suggested. He shrugged and scoffed at the dry, unimpressed looks aimed his way. "What? Admit it, you were all thinking it."

"It isn't", Ianto Jones announced with such certainty that it earned everyone's attention.

Gwen Cooper arched an eyebrow, Toshiko Sato's cheeks colored just a little bit while she focused intently on the mystery object. Owen snorted and rolled his eyes. "Well, I guess you would know…"

They were so focused on their finding that they didn't hear the approaching steps. Nor did they sense the eyes observing them until someone cleared their throat. "So, children… What, exactly, are you up to?"

Their heads turned to discover Jack Harkness looking at them with an amused expression. Grown ups looking a little like kids spotted with their hands in a cookie jar. "The Rift dropped this while you were in the meeting", Gwen explained. "We've been trying to figure out what it is."

Visibly curious, Jack strode closer to give the item a proper look. He leaned closer, eyebrows furrowed. "I haven't seen one of these in ages…!" the captain muttered, partially to himself. He pointed at the object with clearly apparent excitement. "That's a fertility device from the 42nd century." Seeing the questioning looks on their faces he went on. "Long story short? The birth rates sunk down and infertility became a real problem. So the scientists had to get creative to save the human kind from extinction." The rest of them knew that there was most definitely a lot more to that story but none of them dared to ask. Sometimes too much detail was too much detail.

"So it's a futuristic baby popping machine?" Owen summed up. Clearly displeased. "Pretty anti-climatic."

"And it seems to be broken. See that crack, there?" Gwen pointed at a small hole that obviously wasn't supposed to be there. "The fall must've damaged it."

"Still, let's get it locked up properly." Jack's eyes turned towards the man at his right. "Ianto?"

The said Welshman nodded. A gentle hand scooped up the damaged artifact. "Already on it, sir. It shouldn't take long." There was a clearly visible hint in his eyes.

A wolfish smirk made its way to Jack's face while his eyes observed the younger man walking away, focusing on the rear and drinking in the view.

"Let me guess." Gwen seemed between nauseated and amused. "Weevil hunting again?"

"Yup", Jack confirmed, popping the last letter. Then focused on the team. "Now off to work with you! I'm going to send you home early so get everything done."

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><p>What the team didn't know was that the item wasn't broken, only a little damaged. It was merely sleeping, conserving energy. Waiting. And there, in Ianto's hold, it began to awaken.<p>

Ianto was just about to put it away when he felt it. A bizarre tingle at first that soon began to really hurt. He frowned and looked down. Quite fast his eyes flew wide.

_What the…?!_

Oh, the device certainly wasn't sleeping or dead anymore. Because slowly yet steadily it began to bathe in a incredibly beautiful, purple light. It seemed to be pulsating against his hand, like it'd had a heartbeat of its own.

Ianto's first instinct was to throw it away, as fast as possible. It would've been the most sensible thing to do. But he never got the chance to act on that impulse.

Because as soon as his pulse sped up so did the artifact. The purple glow grew far more intense, seemed to swallow him up entirely. And the tingle turned into the most horrible burning sensation he could've ever imagined.

Ianto wasn't aware of his own scream. He didn't register that he fell down, the device still in his hold. It was biting to his skin, with such ferocity that droplets of blood trickled down his hand. All that made sense to him was the hellish pain.

It swirled everywhere inside him, finally focusing to his stomach and the most private parts of his body. Under different circumstances the possible harm might've worried him. They didn't when a great part of him was convinced that he'd die.

How could the final result be anything different when he was being torn apart in such a violent way?

Skin… Bone… Intestines… Everything was being tormented, squeezed. And in the end he couldn't take it anymore.

It was a mercy that eventually the whole world became black as his mind shut down.

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><p>When Jack didn't catch a glimpse of Ianto in half an hour he began to grow a little worried. Surely cataloguing and locking up one item couldn't take that long, even with Ianto's precision? In the end he found himself headed towards where he expected to find his young lover. Just to make sure…<p>

"Ianto?" he called out. A shiver of dread and worry crossed him when there was no response. "Don't tell me that you find that malfunctioning thing more interesting than a Weevil Hunt?" Still nothing.

Jack hurried his steps as his heartbeat shot up. Very, very unpleasant possibilities began to spin around in his head. "Ianto, I need to hear those…!" All words froze into his throat.

Ianto lay on the floor, unconscious. The artifact had loosened its hold but three small holes that oozed blood remained where it'd been attached. There seemed to be a dark stain on the young man's trousers as well.

Jack's mind was jammed by shock but his body wasn't. At a impressive speed he cast the clearly unsafe item to where it was supposed to be locked up, out of sight and contained so that it wouldn't hurt anyone else. Then he focused his whole attention on the unconscious man.

"Ianto?" His voice had no visible affect. He tapped the younger man's cheek gently. Still nothing. "Time to wake up, Ianto. Come on… Open your eyes." Even caressing Ianto's hair didn't work. That _always_ worked.

And at that moment Jack's mind was made up. Gently, determined to not cause any further damage, he took Ianto into his arms, then ran as fast as he dared to with his precious cargo. Throughout it all he didn't stop calling out to the unconscious man. He received no response.

His abrupt appearance startled the others. Seeing the Welshman's condition did so even further. "What the hell happened?" Owen snapped, eyes widening.

"That thing wasn't broken, after all", Jack growled as he lay Ianto carefully to the table. Furious at himself for not realizing. He should've known…! "It sensed him and activated."

"Doing… what, exactly?" Tosh asked quietly, a great deal of alarm in her eyes.

Jack focused on his tightly balled fists because he couldn't bring himself to look at any of the others. Especially Ianto. "Like I said, it's a fertility device. It moulds the body so that it can become pregnant."

A shocked, horrified silence followed. Like time itself had frozen. "Oh, fuck…!" Owen groaned at last.

"Changes his body how?" Gwen's voice was far tighter than usual. "He's able to handle it, right?" He could practically feel her fear when he couldn't produce an answer. "Jack!"

Jack swallowed, hard. Unable to get rid of the bitter taste. "It… was designed for a futuristic human. There's no telling how a 21st century body is going to react to it. This has never happened before."

The tension intensified until all of a sudden a low, silent groan pierced it. They all turned their gazes towards the sound to discover that Ianto's eyelids were fluttering as the archivist frowned. Then, very slowly and after several false alarms, those eyes opened halfway, hazy but aware. The frown deepened when Ianto seemed to notice all the attention. "Wah…?"

Owen's shoulders relaxed, just a little bit. "Well, welcome back. Trust you to arrange us some unnecessary drama." Only a slight change in the tone, easily missed, gave away the man's relief. The doctor shone a light to the confused man's eyes, giving a pleased grunt at the way the pupils reacted. "Good news is that your brain's no more damaged than before. Are you feeling any pain anywhere?"

Ianto gulped and blinked twice, slowly. "A little." The frown from before deepened still. "What… happened?" A hint of panic appeared when none of them managed to answer. "What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"

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><p>TBC<p>

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><p>AN: Oooooh boy…! We'll see just how much 'fun' this is gonna bring along… Poor Ianto!

Sooooo… How was it? Any good? This is my first 'TW' chapter-fic so it'd be FANTASTIC to hear from you.

In any case, thank you so much for reading! And who knows. Maybe you'll even stop by again…?

Take care!


	2. Life Finds a Way

A/N: Sooooo, it's time for an update! But first…

THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart, for your reviews and love for this story! My gosh. So many friends…! You can't even imagine how happy you've made me. (HUGS) I really hope that you'll enjoy what's to come as much!

Awkay, folks… It's showtime! I really hope that you'll enjoy the ride.

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><p>Life Finds a Way<p>

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><p>Now, as a doctor Owen had been prepared to meet a lot of strange things. Even more so since he joined Torchwood. But this, a man walking around with a uterus inside him…<p>

"So…", he started, his eyes on the newest bloodtest results. "Your blood values look pretty good. You're a bit anemic but that's not much of a surprise with the Torchwood diet."

"And the hormonal levels?"

"A little out of whack." Owen lifted his gaze from the computer screen to see Ianto looking right back at him. The younger man's expression was carefully in check but his eyes were a different story. It was impossible to tell which one of them was more uncomfortable with this weird little session. "The ovaries haven't developed at all, though. It's a miracle if they're functional. How's the spotting?"

Ianto seemed to find something extremely interesting from his squirming hands. "It's lessening." And that was definitely all he'd say about the matter.

Owen nodded slowly. "Right…" He took deep breath, trying not to fidget with discomfort. "So, it's been a little less than two weeks from the… incident. And other than the… extra parts there's nothing physically wrong with you. You can come back to work tomorrow."

That brought a spark of relief to Ianto's eyes. The man then looked away, which was a loud warning that something extremely unpleasant was up ahead. "And… What about the, er…?"

Owen couldn't fight back a wince or the groan, although he did manage to stop the swear words from flowing out. _Oh no, hell no…!_ He did _NOT _want to have this conversation with a teammate. He didn't want to spare a single thought to the sex-life of Jack and Ianto. "Go for it", he stated, for once pleased that he had no gag reflex. "Just… Don't let him tear you apart any more than you have been, got it? I'm _not_ going to stitch up… that kind of injuries. And use protection. I can't put you on pills since they probably wouldn't work but there's always…"

"I'm not thirteen, Owen, thank you." Ianto appeared slightly flushed and very, very eager to leave. This whole 'flowers and bees' discussion wasn't exactly pleasant for either of them. "So, uh… Next time in five weeks?"

Owen made a face. "Unfortunately, yes. Now get out of here before Jack walks his way through the floor of his office."

Ianto gave him a grateful look before fleeing faster than should've been humanly possible. Left alone, Owen groaned loudly and buried his face into his hands. Wishing dearly that he could still drink to wipe this from his mind…

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><p>The thing with fate is that sometimes it decides to play nasty little tricks. Despite all their excitement, especially after being banned from kinky activities for almost two weeks, Jack and Ianto did try to be careful. And they were. They actually succeeded in making the usage of protection a part of the fun.<p>

It was the slightest of slips about a week and a half after Ianto's check up. A tiny lack of caution in the heat of the moment. And the tiniest of holes on rubber that neither of them noticed in the dim light. Not that a blindfolded Ianto even could've.

Sometimes it's the smallest of all things that become the biggest.

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><p>Before they knew it seven weeks had flown by from <em>that<em> bizarre day. Ianto had a look of intense concentration on his face while he lay on Jack's bed, one hand placed on his lower adbomen. As though he would've been able to feel the changes even through skin. As though the touch would've brought any more sense to it all.

After Owen's throughout examination that made both of them feel beyond uncomfortable he received news that there was a currently unidentified mass in his stomach. And as though that hadn't been enough bad news he came to learn that there was a tear that didn't belong there in his… well, southern region. Even further inspection taught him that the mass was, in fact, a uterus. All of a sudden the suspicious tear received a name as well. No wonder it fucking hurt when the device attacked him.

Ianto swallowed hard, still after seven weeks feeling an intense wave of nausea. What was he, now? What did that device do to him? Owen was fairly sure that despite the item's original purpose he couldn't become pregnant. That hardly erased the unease. There was something in his body that didn't belong there, that wasn't supposed to be there. What the hell, exactly, happened to him? Was he still a proper man, afterwards?

It was a small hint of comfort that the rest of the team seemed to prefer pretending that the whole thing never happened. It helped even more that Jack seemed far from averse to the changes, instead seemed to find them exciting. Still, as Ianto pressed his hand just a little tighter against what wasn't supposed to be there, he wished that all the 'spare parts', as Owen elegantly put it, would just disappear. His body didn't feel like his own anymore.

"You're not getting started without me, are you?"

Ianto couldn't help but chuckle at that. He snuggled just a little bit closer to the immortal, purposefully making sure that his hair tickled the other's chin. The tremor of pleasure his gesture coaxed was a lovely reward. "You really think I'd be up to that after last night?" Their eyes met. "I'm fairly sure that we broke a record."

Jack smirked, clearly very pleased with himself. "What can I say? I aim to please."

Jack was experienced, eager and talented. Ianto was resourceful and eager to explore. There was a reason why most of their dabblings took place in the privacy of the Hub rather than at Ianto's apartment. Not to even mention all the possibilities the place had to offer…

Ianto's groan cut Jack's thoughts. It was soon followed by a husky chuckle. "You're kidding me, right? Two minutes from being fast asleep to…" The hand brushing the so called problem certainly didn't shrink it.

Jack shrugged, unashamed by his preparedness. "Can't help it." He placed a long, savouring kiss to his lover's lips and received a equally enthusiastic response. He licked his lips, ending up licking Ianto's as well. "So… What do you say if I'd tell the others to…"

Whatever Jack had been about to suggest became interrupted by the sound of a Rift alert. Jack groaned. Then swore loudly, in every language he knew.

Ianto's eyebrow arched in question. "What was _that _language?"

"Oh, it's from this tiny place pretty far away from here." Jack grinned, just a little bit, at the memories. "Exotic creatures, those people."

Ianto rolled his eyes, then smiled fondly and placed a kiss that held a promise to his lips. "Now move it, Captain." In the next moment the Welshman was already getting dressed. How did he find his clothes so quickly? And how could they be completely unwrinkled after the previous night's activities? "The world could be ending."

Jack shook his head. "The end of the world won't come on Wednesday", he declared. If his hand lingered on Ianto's behind a little longer than necessary neither was bothered.

They were lucky if the others wouldn't notice that they were both walking funnily.

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><p>A pair of bloody blowfish, high as kites. That was their grand, world threatening problem today. Bloody Torchwood!<p>

Jack most definitely wasn't amused as they followed a trail of grocery store thefts, stolen cars and general chaos towards some of the less appealing parts of the city. Those two had made quite a spectacle of themselves. Wonderful. Cleaning up the mess wouldn't be a small task.

After five hours of chasing, confronting hysterical people and shop owners ready to beat someone to a pulp, they found their new friends from the basement floor of a apartment building that should've been demolished ages ago. The encounter wasn't a warm and fuzzy one. It ended as those meetings often did.

Watching the corpses of two previously uncooperative blowfish Jack took a moment to steady his breathing. He then looked at his team. "Everyone alright?"

Gwen, who'd just been propositioned to participate a highly unpleasant threesome, appeared pissed off more than anything else. Owen, who was apparently eager to empty another clip of his gun, only nodded sharply. Tosh nodded slowly, dusting her clothes. "Yeah, I'm alright."

Ianto only stared at the corpses, his face alarmingly pale. Was it the blood or the appalling stench? Or something else entirely? Before Jack had the chance to make any further questions the archivist bolted.

"Seriously?" Owen scoffed. "After everything we've seen _this_…!"

Jack didn't waste time on listening further. Instead he ran, alarm bells going off loudly in his head. Ianto wasn't one prone to having a weak stomach. So what set this off?

Jack found Ianto outside, throwing up everything there was in the Welshman's stomach. Which wasn't much, considering that they'd skipped breakfast for this hunt and hadn't had the mind to eat before heading to bed. He frowned, worry twisting and forming a large, solid ball into his stomach. "Ianto?" His hand was incredibly gentle while it rubbed soothing circles on the younger man's back.

It seemed to take ages before the retching and the dry heaving that followed finally ended. Ianto wiped his lips with a trembling hand, a look of disgust on his face. "Sorry. I… don't know what happened. The smell just…"

"Hey, it's okay. Happens to the best of us." Jack wrapped his arms around his lover and pulled the man close, as though trying to shield him. He placed a kiss to the forehead that held a sheen of cold sweat. "Feeling any better?"

Ianto's arms held him back, a little weaker but determined. The man sighed. "Getting there." Was that a tremor? "I… just need… a lil' breath…" And with no further warning the Welshman's knees buckled, sending him slumping limply against Jack.

Jack was almost sure that his heart forgot a couple of valuable beats. "Ianto?" The limp heap in his arms provided no reaction. Jack's pulse sped up to a unhealthy high. "OWEN!"

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><p>Ianto woke up to a pair of arms holding firmly and a pair of hands poking him. He groaned, trying to swat them away. All he wanted was to sleep! Instead he seemed to encourage the invasion.<p>

"Now would be a really fucking good time to open your eyes", Owen suggested. The doctor's voice sounded odd, nearly static to his ears. "I don't want to experience Jack dying of a heart attack."

Ianto wrinkled his nose and moaned a protest. "… 'ut up… Got a headache…"

"No wonder. You're dehydrated and your blood sugar is too low." Owen didn't sound impressed. The man's voice was curiously tight. "Lack of sleep and food… Are you two trying to shag each other to death or what the hell is this?"

This time it was Jack who growled. Very, very dangerously. "_Do not_ tempt me!" The voice rumbled uncomfortably close to Ianto's head and he fought back a wince at the hammer of pain it caused.

"Alright, alright, sorry!" Owen didn't sound sorry. "See what you're doing to Jack? Would you please open your eyes so he'd stop glaring at me."

"C'mon, Ianto", Jack coaxed. "Just let me see those beautiful eyes. Then we'll get you out of here."

Well, getting back to the Hub did sound like a tempting idea. Ianto's eyes finally agreed to open, at least a little, giving him a view of two men looking down at him, worried looks on their faces. He gave Jack's hand a brief, apologetic squeeze, then began to push himself to a sitting position. "I'm fine", he announced, pleased to discover that his voice sounded strong and even. He rubbed his face with the hand that wasn't in Jack's iron hold. "Just another dizzy spell."

"Another?" Owen's eyebrow arched and something unnerving appeared to the doctor's face. "How long have you been having them?"

Ianto tensed up and he felt Jack do the same. Slowly yet surely his head was catching on and he didn't like it. "About… a week."

"And the nausea?"

"It's been there for a few days. This is the first time I threw up, though." Ianto's brain finally slammed to a obvious conclusion. The nausea began about a couple of weeks after the last of the spotting disappeared. He'd been supposed to report that to Owen during their new meeting today. His hold on Jack's hand tightened and the captain's did the same.

"What are you saying?" Jack barked, pulling Ianto closer.

Owen's face seemed entirely too solemn. The doctor sighed, loudly. "What I'm saying is that as soon as we get to the Hub tea-boy here is going to pee on a stick."

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><p>Gwen and Tosh certainly weren't happy to be left behind, especially when the three men left with brief, cryptic explanations. But they did agree that Ianto should be taken away from the scene and that the whole mess had to be dealt with properly. So they relented, after making them swear to phone or text them a report as soon as possible.<p>

Jack was able to deliver the commands and seem like he was holding it together. But it was a very different story inside him. In the car he swallowed loudly, pulling Ianto close.

Of course Ianto couldn't be pregnant, right? The device had done its job only halfway. And they'd been careful. Hadn't they? But what if they hadn't been careful enough? What if Ianto really was…?

All of a sudden Jack found it hard to resist the temptation to lay a hand of the younger man's flat stomach.

The drive was relatively quiet, with Jack and Ianto deep in thought and Owen doing his best to avoid thinking about the situation at all. Pretty much as soon as they reached the Hub Owen began to rummage through a drawer. "Since the bloodtest results haven't arrived yet and I assume that you want some answers immediately…" The doctor offered three different pregnancy tests towards Ianto. "Get busy."

Jack's eyebrow arched. "Just out of curiosity… Why do you have a pregnancy test here?"

Owen shrugged. There wasn't a hint of embarrassment on his face. "Gotta be ready for anything."

Neither of the couple appeared convinced. "I see", Ianto conceded at last. "But three…?"

Owen rolled his eyes. "May I remind you that _you_ are the one who probably managed to get knocked up while you were supposed to be extra careful? So spare me and just pee on those sticks. The faster we get this done the better."

Jack and Ianto had very little objections to that.

The endlessly long minutes of waiting were pure torture. Jack paced like a caged tiger, Owen sat on his chair muttering darkly under his breath and Ianto remained on the seat he'd slumped on when he was done, his posture painfully stiff. None of them felt able to start a conversation so they settled for the heavy silence that lingered like a blanket. Until the sound of a cell phone's alarm.

Instantly Jack was at Ianto's side, hands on both of the Welshman's shoulders. Ianto's eyes widened while he tried his best to keep his expression neutral. Slowly, slowly, unsure if he really wanted to know, Owen peered towards the tests.

"I'm not pregnant", Ianto reasoned, talking mostly to himself. The man's expression, however, wasn't quite as confident. "I can't be. The process… It wasn't complete." He looked towards Jack, obviously looking for an ally. "I don't feel pregnant."

Jack's jaw tightened, just a little bit, while he searched his lover's eyes. Seeming to look for something that wasn't there. "Would it be so horrible if you were?"

Ianto stared back at Jack. Disbelief, rage, betrayal and sheer terror were loudly present in the man's eyes. The Welshman's mouth opened twice but nothing came out.

That was when Owen decided to interject. "Uh… I'm sorry to interrupt but…" The doctor's eyes were slightly widened as he showed them the pregnancy tests. Positive, all three of them. "It's like they say in 'Jurassic Park'. Life finds a way."

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><p>TBC<p>

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><p>AN: Ooooooooooooh boy! So those two made a teenager style mistake… (winces) So what's going to happen next? How will the surprise parents AND the team react?

PLEASE, do leave a note to let me know your thoughts! Good, bad, luke warm…? The word's all yours.

Until next time, ya all! I really hope that you'll all stop by then.

Take care!

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><p><strong>Guest<strong>: I'm thrilled to hear that you liked the startout! Hopefully what's to come will please you as much.

Massive thank yous for the review!


	3. Three Makes a Crowd

A/N: I'm baaaaaaack! (BEAMS) BUSY schedules almost got in the way of updating this promtly but here I am. Yay?

First, though…! WOAH! THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart, for the baffling amount of reviews, listings and love that this story has received! I would've NEVER expected this kind of a reception. I swear that I'll do my best to make this worthy of your affections.

Awkay, before I get all mushy… Let's go! I really hope that you'll enjoy the ride.

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><p>Three Makes a Crowd<p>

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><p>Ianto had always been a perfectionist. No matter how seemingly mundane a task. And avoiding ending up knocked up after the changes his body was pushed through was something he didn't take lightly. He'd been very, very careful.<p>

Yet here he was, throwing up and dry heaving when his stomach ran out of anything to spew out, the mental image of three positive pregnancy tests burned eternally to his retinas. Feeling throughoutly sick and, frankly, a little sorry for himself. Feeling too much for comfort.

He just wanted to wake up from this odd, terrifying dream already.

He jumped slightly at the feel of a stunningly tender hand rubbing circles on his back. He leaned instinctively to the touch. "Feeling better?" Jack murmured.

Ianto nodded slowly, pleased to discover that it didn't make him throw up again. He shivered and finally opened his eyes, looking down at the mess he just made. His face twisted to a grimace. "Owen's going to throw a fit at me for ruining his trashcan."

Jack chuckled. "He's in too much of a shock to even notice." Well, Owen did look ready to pass out when he left a few minutes ago to fetch Ianto some water

Ianto smiled but it disappeared in a flash. He wrapped his arms tightly around his achy, still mildly nauseated body, as though trying to shield himself. Too bad that this time the assault came from the inside.

Jack clearly noticed his discomfort. "Hey." A hand brushed some strayed locks of hair from his forehead. "How are you feeling?"

Ianto licked his lips, not really managing to meet his lover's eyes. "There's something inside me that should've _never_ ended up there. How do you think I feel?" Was he talking about the changes his body went through weeks ago? Or something more? He didn't know. He winced at his tone. "Sorry. I'm just… I'm scared, Jack." Admitting that wasn't a small thing for him. He could only hope that Jack saw that much, at least tried to understand where he was coming from.

The hand that'd been caressing him withdrew. "You think that I don't understand that?" Jack growled. There was a stunning amount of raw emotion in the tone, in those slightly widened blue eyes. "I'm scared, too. For you, for us. To see what this will do to you." 'Scared' seemed to be the understatement of the year, if the sheer terror in the immortal's gaze was anything to go by. The man swallowed, hard. "And if all does go well… Ianto, I'll outlive you both. I'll watch you grow old and…" The inhale was so sharp that it had to hurt. "I'll… I'll live to bury my own child, alone."

The tragedy of it tore at Ianto's heart. The mental image of it… He took a deep, sharp breath of his own, feeling several more slashes of brutal pain. Because right there he saw. "But you still want it." Calling it a baby would've made whatever the hell there was growing in his violently altered body feel too real.

A torn look appeared to Jack's face. Such the Welshman couldn't remember seeing before. "It's not an alien, Ianto. It's ours."

Fighting the urge to feel sick again Ianto turned away, leaning his back heavily against the back of the chair and burying his face into both of his hands. So Jack was already thinking of it as their child. Jack was going to think that Ianto was a monster…!

"You don't want it." A statement rather than a question. Full of poorly hidden accusation, pain, sadness and betrayal.

Funny, because Ianto was feeling similar. A searing sensation took over his eyes and he did his best to rub it away. "I'm a man, Jack! This… This isn't supposed to be happening!" he cried out, sounding more than a little panicked. His eyes opened and stared at his stomach. It was surreal to imagine that there was something alive and growing inside it. "I was never supposed to become a dad. And definitely not this way."

He'd never, ever envisioned himself as a parent. Not even with Lisa and they fully agreed on the matter. A child with two Torchwood parents wouldn't work. And to be honest Ianto just couldn't see how he would've made a decent parent. His past hadn't exactly given him enough tools to know how to be one. He wouldn't be able to provide a child with what they needed! Physically and financially yes, of course, but emotionally…

And what about Jack? They were still exploring their rather newly deepened relationship, testing the ground. Getting to really, properly know each other. How would a baby fit into all of that? How were they supposed to raise a child together?

This was all provided he'd actually end up carrying the pregnancy to term, with however much or little free choice there was involved. His body _wasn't_ supposed to be able to become pregnant, period. It was forced through dramatic changes that it might not be able to handle. Little as he liked to admit it he had to face the facts. There was no telling what this baby, which he'd never asked for, might do to him.

Right now he didn't have even the slightest clue what to do. All he wanted was Jack to wrap his arms around him and tell him that it was alright. That it was his body, his decision, that he'd support him and stay with him no matter what.

But as it was they were both too angry, confused, pained and scared. So they lingered in a stiff silence, both deep in thought. Both with the weight of the world on their shoulders.

That was how Owen found them upon entering the room five minutes later. One eyebrow bounced up. "Well aren't you two just full of cheer…" The doctor sighed, clearly exhausted. It'd been a long day. "So… I suppose that we need a course of action."

Ianto stiffened. There were certain things that needed to be discussed, considering his… situation. And he wasn't sure if he wanted Jack to be there to hear. But then again, Jack was also his boss and it was highly important, to the safety of the entire team, that he knew the medical things. So Ianto took a deep breath and clenched his fists, not looking at either of the other men. "My medication… doesn't mix well with a pregnancy." He couldn't see himself as a parent. But still, somehow, pumping whatever there was inside him full of chemicals that'd harm it…

He felt Owen's nod and discomfort. "We have to cut down your antidepressants. As well as your sleeping pills. Do you think you're up to it?"

_What bloody choice do I have?_, Ianto wanted to scoff. "I've… felt alright, for a while, now." Jack didn't know the full force of the rats gnawing at him but the captain had helped keep them at bay, especially lately. And for that the Welshman was grateful. He focused on Owen. "So, yeah. I'm up to it."

Owen gave him a hard look. "And you'd better tell me if that changes, got that? Especially now." _Especially now, for Jack, or because of the pregnancy? Both?_

Ianto swallowed. "I will", he promised. And he had a feeling that Jack would be watching over him like a hawk.

"Field work is another thing I wanted to discuss." Owen's suddenly nervous gaze flickered between him and Jack. "You're going to hate me for this, but this job… It's fucking dangerous. Take the word of a dead man walking. And we've all seen that you can be a incredibly infuriating trouble magnet. I can't let you out there, chasing and getting chased by all those creepy crawlers." A stunningly subtle pair of eyes flickered on his abdomen. "I know that you haven't decided yet. But until you have I'm not taking the brat's life on my conscience. Or yours."

Ianto understood. Of course he did. Owen was a doctor and although his ethics could be questioned from time to time he was also a stern professional. He couldn't let someone in Ianto's condition enter some of the world's most dangerous situations when it was under his power to stop it.

But to Ianto it was another blow, another little unwanted turmoil in his life. Another thing that he had absolutely no control over. He was getting tired of not having any control over anything.

He did have control over here and now, though. And so, with as much pride and dignity as he could, Ianto got up and nodded. "Thanks." He meant it, even if there was an echo of bitterness.

Jack frowned. One of the man's hands twitched. "Where are you going?"

Ianto felt a pulse of frustrated fury. "To the restroom. I just… I need a moment."

He was already walking away when Jack's voice called out. "Don't take too long." It almost made him smile, almost.

* * *

><p>Jack knew full well that he could be… difficult. Ignorant in some moments and smothering right after. He could be very, very demanding. But when he cared about someone he took it seriously. He couldn't help it, no matter how many times he'd tried to teach himself to detach since learning of his immortality. People stayed in his eternal life for only a fleeting moment. Comrades, allies, friends, lovers, loved ones… They were always torn away from him, usually sooner rather than later, because that was the curse of his gift. Yet he hadn't managed to harden his heart entirely. He never managed to stop caring, falling deep. He was the kind of a person who was born to lead and gather people around him, whether he was leading them to his bed or to their deaths. They were his biggest strength and downfall. Keeping him fighting, hanging on, and shattering him piece by piece at the same time.<p>

His latest massive downfall was Jones, Ianto Jones, a man of mysteries and surprises. An archivist with a deadly aim and the heart of a lion. Jack honestly didn't know what to call what the two of them had. But he did know that he didn't want to see it ending. That it was captivating, intoxicating. At some point he'd even cast aside the thought of being with others. He'd probably never manage to utter any pledges or confessions but this, being devoted to Ianto… He'd come to realize that he wouldn't change it for the world. And now, impossibly, Ianto was pregnant with his child.

Yes, Jack was terrified of what it might do to his young lover. But somewhere, deep down… There was the tiniest spark of excitement, such that he couldn't smother. He wasn't sure if he even wanted to. Was fate really going to grant him a yeat another family? Yes, one way or another he'd lose it and it'd kill a part of him, but the frail spark of excitement refused to die.

Jack also couldn't deny that it stung, more than a little, that Ianto didn't seem to feel a thing towards the life they'd accidentally created.

"You're not gonna start puking too, are you?"

Owen's disgusted, genuinely worried words succeeded in breaking Jack free from his thoughts. He sighed, rubbing his face with both hands. "I'll tell you when I know."

A few moments passed by with him attempting to get a hold of himself and Owen bustling around uncomfortably loudly, probably to keep himself busy. In the end the doctor broke the silence. "Look… I have no fucking clue what sort of mating and reproducing habits there were in your time. I'm glad for that. But this is totally new to Ianto. He just got knocked up and he's scared shitless."

Jack gritted his teeth. His jawline tightened. "It's his own baby!"

"He may never see it as such, Jack. That's not something anyone can actively choose." Oh, did Jack know that, with vivid detail…! Owen sounded and seemed very serious all of a sudden. "What you can choose is whether you can handle that. I'd advice to decide it quickly."

Jack couldn't help the hint of a smile that touched his lips momentarily. "You know… It almost sounds like you care", he teased.

Owen shrugged. "Tea-boy's my patient. And at the moment so is the brat. It's a part of my job." The doctor then gestured towards the door. "Surveillance footage revealed that he's sulking in the restroom. Now go."

Jack hauled himself up stunningly obediently. "Yes, Master Yoda." He hoped that the 'Thank you' was audible.

He was almost out of the door when Owen spoke once more. "Hey, and Jack? Congratulations."

If those words made Jack smile just a little bit no one would have to know.

* * *

><p>Ianto had no idea how long he'd been in the restroom, locked up to one of the booths and slumped to the floor. His legs had been brought tightly to his chest and he buried his face to them, focusing firmly on breathing. Focused on anything but the storm of thoughts bombarding his head. Tried to shield himself from the rest of the world.<p>

Of course that wouldn't work. Because eventually the room's door opened and familiar steps approached. "Sorry about the intrusion, but don't you agree that half an hour is enough of a 'moment'?" Jack stopped nearby, with only a thin door separating them. "Would you please open the door so we can talk like two adults?"

Ianto glanced towards the door with a mixture of caution and hopefulness. He gulped. "I'm… not sure if I can talk about… _it_ yet", he admitted quietly.

There was a sigh. "I don't care, alright?" It sounded like Jack might even mean it. "Just… let me in. Screw talking."

Powerless against that tone of a voice Ianto unlocked the door and they were face to face. Both unsure and on the edge. Without saying a word Jack sat beside him and, as though without the captain's notice, a subtle hand reached out towards Ianto, grabbing his. Ianto squeezed it and held on tight, his head refusing to consider any other option.

No matter what happened or whatever Ianto decided to do with the pregnancy they were in for a tough ride. Again. Why couldn't things be simple with them for once?

"Toshiko and Gwen will be back soon", Jack pointed out at last, breaking the silence. They both stared at the same spot on the wall. "They'll have a lot of questions. What are we going to tell them?"

"Jack, please…!" Perhaps it was the unfamiliar hormones. But all of a sudden Ianto couldn't take the suffocating band tightening around his chest any longer. He knew that there was nothing short of despair in his eyes when they met his boss and he didn't give a damn. "I… I don't know anything, right now. And I… I need time. So please… Just give me some time." He knew full well that he was pleading, all too close to tears, but he couldn't help it. He just needed time, at least just a little.

Jack seemed to understand. Because although the turmoil of disappointment, anger, fear and accusation didn't disappear fully it grew milder. There was also softness and understanding. The captain nodded. "Okay. We can blame it on a stomach flue, for now." The immortal placed a comfortingly tender kiss to his forehead. "I'll leave Owen in charge and take you home to get some rest. And then I'll cook us some pasta."

That succeeded in coaxing a small laugh from Ianto. He dared to let himself relax slightly against Jack. "I'll take care of the cooking, thank you. You might survive a yet another food poisoning but I wouldn't."

* * *

><p>Jack felt utterly drained while they entered Ianto's flat about an hour later and couldn't even begin to guess how the Welshman had to be feeling. It'd been a long, trying day. And apparently it was all getting started. Or well, that's what a small, secret part of Jack was hoping for. Bloody confusing, all of it.<p>

Wasn't Ianto supposed to be the hormonal one of them?

"So…", Jack started with almost honest cheer once the flat's door had been closed. "What do you want to…?" He could only watch how his lover beelined towards the bathroom. It took but seconds before the retching reached his ears. He winced with sympathy and, admittedly, some worry. "… eat?"

Jack decided to give Ianto some privacy, especially considering everything that'd been dumped on the man over the past ten or so hours. But when the sounds of vomiting refused to end after twelve minutes the nagging concern from before deepened significantly. He was moving before he even registered it properly.

Ianto was leaning over the toilet, still gasping. Some tears of strain rolled down the unhealthily pale man's face. Well, at least the throwing up was finally done with. The Welshman spat the last of it into the water and groaned loudly. "… futuristic fertility devices…!"

Jack winced at the words that he almost certainly heard. "Please, Ianto, not when you're pregnant…!" He met the other's glare with a look of sympathy. "I take it you're not hungry?"

Ianto gave him a dry, dark look. "Try to force food down my throat and I'll vomit on your coat." The unwell man's eyes became hopeful. "Bed?"

Jack nodded. He would've wanted to have at least some food stuffed into Ianto, since that was what the man would've needed the most at the moment. But he didn't have the heart to deny that feeble request. "Sure." He actually bit his tongue to restrain some suggestions that might've resulted into Ianto damaging his private parts.

Ianto was able to walk, only just and with the sheer power of stubbornness. With a lot of difficulties they made it to the bedroom and Jack guided the Welshman to lie down. They younger man was fast asleep long before his head hit the pillow.

If only he could've seen what Jack saw, there. How Ianto's body curled up and one of his hands found its way to his stomach, pressing lightly. How the simple contact was enough to smoothen the lines marring the pale, sweaty forehead. Perhaps Ianto's active mind didn't know what he should do but the man's subconscious seemed to be a different story.

Jack himself hesitated. Then, very slowly, he reached out his own slightly unsteady hand. Careful that Ianto wouldn't wake up he lay it on the man's stomach. He was almost sure that he could feel signs of life although it was impossible. His lips opened, then closed again and he swallowed laboriously.

There in the silence of Ianto's bedroom Jack held on and wondered just where the three of them were headed.

* * *

><p>TBC<p>

* * *

><p>AN: Forgive Ianto, yeah? He's more than a little overwhelmed right now. (winces) Let's just hope that he and his relationship with Jack will survive this hurricane. But hey, just how cute is it that Jack seems excited about the whole thing? He's a darling, if not a little exhausting.

Sooooo… Thoughts? Comments? PLEASE, do let me know!

Until next time, folks! I really hope that you'll all join in then.

Take care!

* * *

><p><strong>Guest<strong>: I'm thrilled to hear that you find this so exciting! I truly hope that you won't be disappointed by what's to come.

Huge thank yous for the review!


	4. Extreme Family Bonding

A/N: It's time to update! (grins and rubs hands together) BUT, first things first…

THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart, for your absolutely fantastic reviews, listings and love! I'm still STUNNED by how many of you have joined this mad journey with me. (HUGS)

Awkay, because I have a feeling that you didn't join in for my babblings… Let's go! I really hope that you'll enjoy the ride.

* * *

><p>Extreme Family Bonding<p>

* * *

><p>In what felt like a mere blink of an eye the pregnancy reached week eight. Jack wondered, sometimes, if Ianto noticed it. Both the passing time and the subtle changes. Over the course of his long, long life Jack had faced so many pregnant people that he pinpointed the signs easily.<p>

Nausea was still an issue. It could strike at any time of the day, sometimes as often as fifteen times. It couldn't be predicted but some scents were definitely triggering. Coffee was, tragically, the biggest source of displeasure but Ianto defended his rulership over the coffee machine with fury that would've sent any Weevil running for cover. The intense sickness, along with Ianto's genes and slim figure, meant that there was no way to see the Welshman's condition. There also wasn't any sort of a magical glow or hormonal outbursts because, well, this was Ianto. But whenever the man himself wasn't paying attention Jack saw a delicate hand brushing the still flat stomach. As though Ianto had been subconsciously trying to get used to the idea, perhaps even starting to enjoy it. Or maybe it was Jack's wishful thinking.

Because although it was definitely an accident, perhaps a horrible mistake or an oncoming disaster that'd lead to nothing but heartache, and Jack was terrified out of his mind… He couldn't smother this tiny, insistent voice inside him nagging that perhaps this was something that he couldn't run away from. And maybe, just maybe, he was even excited. Ianto wasn't the only one going through changes. Jack only noticed Ianto's belly-touching habit because he kept stealing glances towards it whenever his attention slipped. He was hoovering, since he refused to use the words mother henning. Which led to him behaving in a way that probably came close to driving Ianto mad.

They spent pretty much every single night together, it didn't matter in which their bed. In fact Jack barely let Ianto out of his sight. The Welshman wasn't exactly a big eater, even less so now with the constant sickness, and it frustrated the captain. Wasn't a healthy diet supposed to be important? And what about the constant stress of work? Ianto detested being coddled and Jack couldn't help but worry. They fought a lot. Fortunately the makeup sex was great. Well, amazing.

There were two things that they avoided discussing out of some silent agreement. The first and biggest was what, exactly, they were going to do with the baby. Which neither dared to actually call that. The second was if and when they should tell Tosh and Gwen.

As often was the case with them, fate got sick of waiting and answered the second question for them.

The day was about as ordinary as any Torchwood one could be. No Rift activity. No reports of suspicious attacks. For a long time it was surprisingly boring.

A wide smile appeared to Gwen's face when Ianto gave her a cup of coffee. "You're a saint!" she sighed, brushing his shoulder affectionately. "I'm going to need this to manage that report on yesterday's Dream Crab."

Ianto managed to return the smile for a second or two. But then he seemed to smell something. And while Ianto had made hiding his nausea a work of art even he had his limits.

Jack noticed the first signs long before Ianto did. Little by little every bit of color disappeared from the younger man's face. The colvulsive gulping spoke even more loudly. "Do, you… uh… Is that new perfume?"

Gwen gave her friend a brief, surprised glance. "Yeah, Rhys gave it to me yesterday." She then re-focused on her coffee. "Why…?"

Ianto's stomach didn't make it all the way through that sentence. "Sorry…" With that the Welshman sped towards the restroom.

The rest of them could only stare. Jack and Owen with far more than a hint of dread, Gwen and Tosh with well understandable worry and confusion. "What was that about?" Gwen demanded at last. "That wasn't just the perfume's doing."

Tosh frowned. Then, slowly yet surely, her eyes began to widen. "It was morning sickness, wasn't it?"

"Morning…?" Gwen's eyes grew huge, filled with shock, excitement and a little bit of irritation. She spun to face Jack. "Oh, no you didn't…! You were supposed to be careful!"

"We were!" Jack snapped. Unsure if he wanted to laugh, cry or pull his hair at the bitter humor of it all. "It's not my fault that the measly 21st centure condoms…"

Owen immediately lifted a hand with a loudly speaking wince. "Alright, alright! We get the picture. Do you want to make a dead man vomit again?"

This time it was Jack's turn to turn a little green.

Ianto reappeared a few minutes later, appearing a bit shaky but largely alright. "Sorry about that. I don't know what…" One long look at their faces told all necessary. The young man froze with a visible shiver. "Oh…"

"Sweetie, why didn't you tell us sooner?" Gwen admonished gently. Immediately she folded the tense Welshman to a warm hug. "This is amazing! I can't believe that you two are becoming parents before Rhys and me."

Tosh smiled, unable to keep herself from glancing towards the man's stomach. "Congratulations." She smirked a little slyly. "So, soon this little family will be even more… interesting with the new addition."

Owen grinned. "'Interesting' is one word to describe it. I'd go for fucked up. In this case pretty literally."

In the middle of the havoc that ensued Jack and Ianto's eyes met. It was fortunate, really, that the women were too preoccupied to sense the tension lingering between them. They'd been stalling the inevitable for a remarkably long time but apparently the time to talk about _IT _was drawing very, very near.

* * *

><p>In the end they managed to hold out for the grand total of two more weeks. Two more exhausting, overwhelming weeks. Now that the truth was out Ianto felt like his stomach had become public property. Everyone seemed to be picking him up on his eating habits, watching over every bite he took. He was almost sure that one of them, at least, was also keeping an eye on the times he tried to slip away to vomit with as much dignity as possible. Because every time he came back there was a glass of water waiting for him, without a fail. And the endless parade of questions…! What he'd experienced thus far, had he heard the baby's heartbeat yet, when would he let Owen get the baby checked for the first time… He swore that if he'd hear 'How are you feeling?' a single time more, no matter how well meaning those questions were, he'd lose whatever little composure he had.<p>

Somehow Ianto managed to hang on, to keep his cool and carry on without unleashing all of his inner turmoil. That was until the day he found something after the rest of the team headed for a hunt. There, somehow having appeared to his desk, was a tiny green romper. Along with a message from Tosh.

'_Sorry. I know that you don't want a fuss but I couldn't resist._'

Ianto didn't know what came over him, there. Maybe it was all getting a bit too real. Or maybe it was the bloody hormones. But he dashed into the restroom and gasped for five full minutes, unleashing some of the tears that'd been penting up. By the time he emerged he was a picture of professionalism and if anyone would ask about his eyes he'd blame it on fatigue.

Jack, of course, wasn't fooled so easily. The captain noticed that something was off. The hunt was a very ugly one, resulting to Jack dying twice, Gwen spraining her ankle and Tosh receiving quite a bit of bruising. The tension began to built up the moment the team returned.

Jack finally unleashed it while driving them towards Ianto's apartment. "I noticed Toshiko's gift. How long are you going to let this continue before you tell them that there won't be a baby?"

Jack's sharp tone and those very words… They plunged deeper than any knife. "Oh, so you read minds, now?" Ianto's voice was higher than usual but he quite honestly didn't care. He kept looking away, focused pointedly on his trembling hands. "I don't know what to do with any of this and I just… I need you to…" How to express what he couldn't quite put into words?

"Need me to what?" Jack's voice was actually shaking, more than a little. The silence stretched, became impossibly heavy. "Ianto, talk to me! For fucking once tell me what you need because I can tell that you're miserable and it's gotta stop!"

Ianto gritted his teeth. He was so used to bottling things up, to hiding how it really felt, that… "Stop telling me how I feel!" he quite nearly snarled through his teeth, his eyes narrowing at his fisted hands. "I'm not miserable!" The outburst that followed exploded, tickling his throat and eyes in a way that almost drove him crazy. There was no way to hold back the surge. "I'm terrified that I won't be able to give you what you need and you'll run away from me again!"

Another addition to the list of 'things that musn't be spoken of'. Jack's departure, Lisa, the future of his pregnancy… Ianto was _sick _of it.

He could actually feel Jack staring at him for a long, stilled moment. Speechless for once in his impossibly long life, either out of stun or rage. "Ianto…" But those words – whether they were those of anger, honesty, comfort or false hopes – never made their way out.

Because neither of them was paying as much attention to the traffic as they should've. That's why they didn't notice the white car charging against a red light until it was too late.

The impact hit Ianto's side with enough force to knock him breathless instantly. His lips opened while the whole world spun. Or was it the car? Or his just his head? Quite distantly he heard Jack's grunt of discomfort, was able to distinguish a protective arm shielding him.

At first it was almost eerily silent. Then, just as quickly, it was so painfully loud that Ianto would've certainly screamed if there'd been even a shred of breath left in him. Too much, all of it. And then it crashed to a stop. Ianto felt his head jerk violently and then no more.

* * *

><p>For a little while Jack wasn't fully sure if he was coming back from dead or unconsciousness. Dimly he registered that his injuries were already fast on their way to being healed. Not that there would've been many of them, just some nasty bruising, a bump to the head and other minor sources of discomfort.<p>

Then he heard the sharp gasps and nothing else registered.

Much too quickly for comfort Jack turned his head to see that beside him Ianto was also conscious, at least somewhat. There was a worrying, dazed look in the Welshman's eyes while the archivist panted, one hand pressed against his stomach and the other squeezing Jack's almost hard enough to damage bone. Jack was able to see some bruises and a bleeding gash from when the younger man hit his head to the car's side window. Nothing overly alarming. But they had a third passenger.

"Ianto?" Jack demanded, the tightness of his throat forcing him to cut words to the minimum.

Ianto swallowed, appearing nauseous and panicked. "I'm fine. I'm fine." It was hard to say which one of them that was supposed to convince. "I just have cramps. It hurts."

White, ice cold terror sped through Jack's veins at a terrifying speed. It took all his willpower to hold back a scream. To keep himself from losing whatever little control he had.

"Okay, okay…" That's good. Deep breaths, nice and slow. Jack felt slightly more like himself. "Let's get out of this wreck, okay? And then we'll get you to the Hub. It'll be alright."

Ianto nodded eagerly, no matter how uncomfortable it seemed to make the man feel. Neither wanted to let go of the other's hand but there was fairly little choice. Painstakingly slowly Jack crawled his way out. It wasn't until they made it outside the captain saw the car's full condition. A shiver crossed him and his eyes widened. How many times did it spin around before stopping to the side of the road? It could've ended so much worse…

But now wasn't the time to worry about that. Because absolutely all his attention was needed elsewhere. On the other side of the disaster that used to be Torchwood's transport stood Ianto, appearing pale and just as shell shocked as he felt. The younger man looked at him as soon as he approached, eyes scanning him from head to toe. "Alright?"

In a different situation Jack might've scoffed. Of course he was alright, he was impossible to kill! But there was no humor in that dark, desolate evening. "Yeah, I am." He swallowed and wrapped one arm around Ianto while his free hand pressed cautiously against the younger man's stomach. "The cramps?"

Ianto's jawline tightened. The man was trembling. "Manageable."

Jack could only hope that Ianto was telling the truth this time. Because just then the police appeared. As fast as he could and with far more politeness than he would've expected Jack explained to them what happened. And that yes, both he and Ianto made it through with minor injuries. Of course they'd still visit the hospital, just in case.

Jack was greatly irritated upon hearing that the son of a bitch who rammed on them not only bolted but hadn't been found yet, either. The police was still looking, though, and confident that they'd catch the man. Jack would've very much liked to do the hunting himself.

But right now he had far more important things to focus on. He had to get Ianto to the Hub, for the sake of the man and the baby. He had no idea what'd happen in the future but he couldn't lose his family, not like this.

* * *

><p>To Ianto it was all of a bit blurry, most likely due to shock and pain. Answering the questions. Following Jack and the two of them taking a cab. The immortal's presence managed to calm him down slightly and he sunk against the man's warmth, unable to keep his hand from rubbing soothing circles on his belly. It was harder to hold back the tears that wanted to come than it should've been.<p>

At some point Jack made a phone call that he didn't manage to pay any attention to. It didn't register to him who the man called until they reached the Hub and found Owen waiting. There was a tense look on the doctor's face. Some might've gone as far as saying that it was worried.

"Did you get it?" Jack demanded.

Owen nodded stiffly. "Yup. I used up an old favor. Now move it. Tea-boy looks like he won't be able to stand much longer."

Usually Ianto would've retorted but there was no real point in denying a fact. A bit numbly, every single one of his nerves fried, he allowed himself to be led to the autopsy bay. The machine waiting there, however, froze him effectively. Cleared his head, too.

An ultrasound device?

"Jack told me that you've been having cramps", Owen explained impatiently. "We'll have to take a look at what's going on inside you. So get on the bed and lift up your shirt. The faster we get this done the better."

Ianto lay down, feeling more than a little nervous. He didn't quite trust the device Owen had dragged in. The thought of it touching his stomach…

"Ianto?" Owen sounded between worried and amused. "Seriously, breathe."

Ianto swallowed and steeled himself. Furiously attempting to maintain as much professionalism and dignity as possible. "Sorry. That things just makes me… nervous."

"Well you being nervous makes Jack nervous. And Jack being nervous makes _me_ nervous because I don't like the way he's glaring at me", Owen grunted. "So breathe and relax. This isn't going to hurt."

_You have no idea what you're talking about…_ Ianto bit back his snide remark and gritted his teeth instead. Prepared for anything.

With how tense his abdominal muscles were it wasn't a surprise that he jolted when the cold gel was smeared on his stomach. He focused on the ceiling and breathing. Because he'd rather get snatched by the Rift than pass out due to a panic attack in front of Owen Harper.

All of a sudden a strong yet slightly hesitant hand grabbed his. Asking for a permission without a single word. Ianto latched on it with as little communication, letting the familiar feel of Jack's skin soothe his fried nerves.

He seemed to keep forgetting that he wasn't alone in the middle of all this, that for once in his life he wasn't facing something of this magnitude alone.

He barely felt the device itself. Owen pressed it surprisingly gently against him, most likely fearing that anything more violent might set Jack off. It circled around, creating patterns that under different circumstances might've been calming. To Ianto it felt like the countdown of a bomb.

And then it went off.

"Bingo!" Owen exclaimed, sounding suspiciously excited. "Sneaky little devil, this one… But as far as I can tell everything seems to be okay." A pair of eyes locked on him. "Do you want to take a look?"

Ianto didn't have the slightest clue if he wanted to see. If he wanted to face it. Because from this moment… It wouldn't be just a nameless, shapeless mass that made him feel sick a million times every day. He even tried to resist it. But in the end some unnamed, primal instinct inside him took over. And he did something that changed the course of his life forever.

Ianto turned his head.

At first he couldn't really tell what he saw on the tiny screen. He frowned, looking closer. A head, the beginning of an eye… Were those arms…? It didn't quite look human. But there was no denying the way his heart was racing.

Looking away was harder than it should've been. Somehow Ianto managed to turn his head again to look at Jack. The immortal's blue eyes were wide and suspiciously moist while they looked back at him. Baffled was the only possible word to describe the man's expression. "Look what we did", Jack managed at last.

Ianto couldn't speak. Couldn't even really think. All that fit into his universe was the fact that the beginning of a life on the screen was actually inside him. Attached to him. And today… Today he'd almost lost it.

Ianto wasn't sure how it happened but all of a sudden he was in Jack's arms, squeezing as tightly as he possibly could. A small part of him tried to nag that the gel on him was staining the captain's coat but it barely registered. Breathing and hanging on was all he could do.

This was one of the most terrifying days of his life because he was finally beginning to realize what he wanted.

* * *

><p>What the stunned parents to be couldn't possibly know was that there was a entirely new threat lurking in the shadows.<p>

It hadn't been a task at all for a determined person to get their hands on some CCTV footage. Now a pair of sharp, gleaming eyes watched the events following the car crash. Observed how Jack wrapped a protective arm around Ianto, as though attempting to shield the younger man from the entire world. Noticed how one of Ianto's unsteady hands pressed against the man's stomach, as though feeling or protecting it. An ice cold smirk revealed a row of hazardous teeth.

Gray had been keeping an eye on his brother for a while, now. It hadn't been a tough task to find out about the man's… affair with Ianto. In full honesty he'd had quite a bit of fun observing them. Especially since he made sure that the fertility device ended up into their hands.

This was a highly entertaining game of chess and Gray knew exactly how to make the stakes as high as possible.

Now he could be sure that the first part of his plan had succeeded. Ianto was pregnant and he'd make damned sure that the Welshman stayed that way. Until he'd decide otherwise, of course.

After all the endless years of waiting he felt a little desperate to just get on with it. But he was determined to hit Jack back in a way that'd hurt the most and for that he'd have to wait. Quite alright. Patience was one of those virtues he'd always been more gifted at than Jack.

When the time would be right he'd make Jack's whole world burn and ensure that the man was watching.

Gray smiled. His eyes darkened as his eyes kept watching the footage of Jack's distancing back. "See you soon, brother dear."

* * *

><p>TBC<p>

* * *

><p>AN: Oooooookay… So now we have Gray along. Don't forget how close to the end of series 2 this story takes place. (gulps) So, we now know that this whole pregnancy-hurricane was orchestrated by Gray. But what, exactly, is he planning? And how will the parents to be continue to handle their dramatically changing lives?

Thoughts? Comments? PLEASE, drop them to the box down below! It could be your good deed for the day.

Until next time, folks! I REALLY hope that you'll be staying tuned for that one.

Take care!

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><p><strong>Guest<strong>: LOL! I'll bet they are. This is quite a shock for them! Poor Ianto. (winces) I REALLY hope that you'll enjoy what's to come as much!  
>Colossal thank yous for the review!<p> 


	5. Slip ups and Make ups

A/N: Yup. It's most definitely updating time. BUT, first…

THANK YOU, so, so much, for all your AMAZING reviews and listings! I have no words. You guys are AMAZING and I swear that I'll do my best to meet your expectations. (HUGS)

Awkay, before I get all mushy… Let's go! I really hope that you'll enjoy the ride.

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><p>Slip ups and Make ups<p>

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><p>Almost sixteen weeks, now.<p>

Ianto stared at his reflection on the mirror of Jack's office in a state of disbelief, his eyes searching curiously for changes. Curiously and with, in his opinion, a rather healthy hint of lingering fear. A week or so ago he noticed that his pants wouldn't quite fit him anymore. His shirt could still be buttoned but it was a bit tighter than before. Even though a reasonable part of his brain kept reminding him that it was all good, that it meant that the baby was healthy and growing, a tiny part of him was far from comfortable with the loss of control over his body.

Ianto was surprised that he hadn't gained more weight, honestly. Because he was eating more than ever in his life. Now that the throwing up routine was mostly over he'd found cravings setting in.

Taking a look at his unfinished meal he wrinkled his nose and shook his head. "You know, Peanut… You have the weirdest taste I've ever encountered. It must come from your dad's side."

"Hey, don't gang up against me before he's even born!" Jack, who'd magically materialized from nowhere, admonished with a chuckle.

Ianto smiled without noticing it, leaning towards the kiss placed to his neck. "Again with the 'he'?" he teased. "I'll be sure to tell our little girl about that one."

Blatantly ignoring him Jack wrapped a pair of arms around his waistline and peered over his shoulder towards the mixture of takeaway food. The captain's ensuing expression was a rather hilarious mixture of horror, confusion, disgust and disbelief. "Is that…?"

"… fried banana covered in pasta sauce? Yes." Ianto shot a half hearted glare at the immortal. "If Peanut starts to crave for something suspicious from the future I'll have you castrated."

Jack's eyebrow arched. The man, however, barely seemed to notice his threat. "'Peanut'?"

Ianto shrugged and turned back towards his stomach turning dish. "We have to start coming up with names from somewhere." Small steps, swallowing it all down in tiny particles. That's how he might just handle this whole thing without losing his mind.

Jack was very, very quiet for a while. Then he felt the man shrug. "Well, it fits." A stunningly soft kiss was placed to his hair.

It was most likely due to hormones. But Ianto could actually feel something happening to both his mood and body. Certain parts of him were very… excited about Jack's advances. He nodded towards the man's desk, purposefully rubbing his head against his partner. "Oh, and another craving… There's some whipped cream and strawberries." Hormones, apparently, took over him while he was fetching food.

And how about that. Jack felt quite eager against him as well. A different kind of a kiss was placed to his cheek while a tender hand rubbed circles at his belly. "Oh, I love you…!"

It took a long moment before either of them realized just what had been said. Ianto's eyes widened and his whole body froze with shock. He swallowed, hard. "Which one of us were you talking to?" he asked breathlessly.

Jack cleared his throat. It was easy to hear the man's discomfort. "Ianto…"

Ianto shook his head. Perhaps a little too forcefully because he ended up feeling dizzy. He gestured towards his stomach. "You don't have to say it, just because…" Of course it felt amazing to hear those words. And he wished that he'd be able to utter the same to Jack before it was in his dying moments. As for Jack… He knew that the captain cared about him deeply, just like the man cared about his whole team. The immortal quite possibly had a big crush on him. But love? Enough to settle with just one person for that person's entire lifetime? Hardly. It wasn't out of spite, just how Jack Harkness was. Which was a bitter pill Ianto had swallowed willingly from the start of… whatever they were now.

No hard feelings. No confusion. No expectations. Wasn't that the whole plan?

Or well, that was what Ianto thought. Until he saw Jack's eyes at that very moment. And devious doubt, perhaps even wishful thinking, began to rise.

They didn't have the time to finish that conversation, though. Because just then there was a hesitant knock. The captain growled what sounded suspiciously lot like a list of swear words and composed himself for a couple of seconds before spinning around. Still the man's voice was pure acid. His eyes were even more threatening. "What?"

Tosh swallowed, appearing apologetic and slightly intimitated. She took an instinctive step backwards. "We've… got Rift activity. It's bad."

* * *

><p>It wasn't catastrophic but bad enough to postpone <em>the talk<em>. Still there was a heavy cloud of confusion hanging on Ianto's mind while he met Rhiannon later that evening. Just a small dinner in a nice, albeit not posh, restaurant to celebrate her birthday. Neither of them was in the mood for partying.

Rhiannon kissed his cheek fondly after opening his present. For the first time that evening there was a genuine smile on her face. "This bracelet is amazing!" She poked at his chest gently. "But not amazing enough to make me forget that I've barely heard from you in weeks. I was already planning on filling a missing person report."

Ianto felt a stab of guilt. Spending time with her, with all the unpleasant memories it aroused… It wasn't easy. He did prefer the make belief version of his family, after all, and actually talking with her shattered the illusion. Which wasn't an excuse to avoid her. Not that it would've been the only reason lately. "I'm sorry. I've just been… busy."

Rhiannon frowned, looking at him intently. "You do look tired. Your boss is seriously wearing you down."

Those words nearly made Ianto choke on his very breath. He was a little too happy when a waitress appeared to take their order. The relief turned into worried confusion when he listened to her order.

Ever since their father's death she'd ordered some Scottish on every special occasion the honor their old man's memory. Ianto himself couldn't touch that stuff because even the smell made him feel sick for reasons that he'd never be able to tell her without shattering her heart. But for Rhiannon it was always the same, down to a particular brand. Now she only had water.

This time it was Ianto's turn to frown and study her with his gaze. "Are you alright?" She didn't seem ill but…

Rhiannon nodded slowly, looking away. She took a deep breath before finally spitting out the words. "Johnny and I… We've been trying for a… one more, you know? For months." She wiped at her eyes with a small, teary chuckle. "It's stupid, I know. We've alredy got an amazing family but…" She sighed. "It shouldn't be this hard, you know? Or maybe we're just not meant to have any more." She sounded far from alright with the idea. Her voice reminded him of the young girl he tried to comfort when she'd been targeted by bullies.

Too bad that now their problems were far more mature.

Ianto swallowed, feeling cold all of a sudden. He'd been entertaining the idea of telling her about his pregnancy. It would've been good to have his sister, who had children of her own, supporting him through the oncoming hurricane. But how was he supposed to tell her that he, a man, had been knocked up accidentally when even her best efforts wouldn't grant her the same miracle? There was no way he could twist a knife in her open wound like that.

And so Ianto did the only thing he could. He moved from his chair and wrapped his arms around her, pulling his sister into the kind of a warm hug that they hadn't shared in much too long. She melted to the contact easily, hanging on to him with a baffling amount of force.

Ianto cleared his throat. Public displays of affection weren't exactly his area. "We, uh… We're drawing attention."

Rhiannon laughed while letting go. Her voice wasn't exactly steady but she wasn't sobbing. "Oh, don't give me that…!" She gave him an amused yet meaningful look. "You know, I'm not the only person you've been seen with in public lately." She leaned closer. "Tall, dark and handsome… Does that ring a bell to you?"

Ianto winced, looking away. "Rhiannon, it's… It's complicated." How was he supposed to explain something that even he couldn't understand?

Rhiannon arched an eyebrow. Obviously not about to swallow his vague response without a fight. "'Complicated?'" When it became obvious that he wasn't going to explain further she sighed loudly. "You've always been too good at keeping secrets. Ever since you were a kid. You never trust me with anything actually important."

Ianto gulped, not quite knowing how to proceed. He focused on staring at his glass of water. The liquid's surface was eerily still. "Well…" The words about to come tasted strange on his tongue. "He… did blurt out that he loves me, today."

"WHAT?!"

* * *

><p>After the long, much too emotional and hectic day Jack had headed for a long walk. And some standing on a rooftop. Somehow the cool air brushing his face always managed to clear his head, at least a little. Despite the number of hours he spent there he couldn't figure out which one was more upsetting, his slipped words or Ianto's reaction to them. All that hurt and confusion… Jack wished that he would've been able to offer something strong and solid but his head and heart were too much of a mess. All he knew was that Ianto and the life inside him were the most precious things he had and he had no idea how to make the Welshman believe it.<p>

Upon returning Jack fully expected that he'd be alone at the Hub. He'd given everyone the rest of the day off and strict orders to show up late the following day. He'd also been sure that Ianto wasn't in the mood for talking, let alone for anything else. That's why he arched a curious eyebrow upon hearing Myfanwy's excited chirping. She only sounded that way with someone in particular nearby.

Jack wasn't entirely sure if he was ready for the conversation up ahead. But he also knew that they weren't hormone driven, moody teenagers. And so he approached.

To someone not familiar with Torchwood the sight would've been beyond bizarre. For the first time since the early afternoon Ianto seemed relaxed as the archivist sat on the floor, with their massive pet nearby. Myfanwy's chirping became even further excited when Ianto offered her some more chocolate.

Jack couldn't help but chuckle. "So that's why she likes you best. You bribe her."

Ianto's looked towards him with surprise and a hint of startle. Myfanwy reacted instantly. She emitted what could only be called a hiss, making an aggressive move towards Jack. Obviously she interpreted his presence as a threat.

Jack backed off immediately, outstretching a pair of pacifying hands. "Woah, woah…! Calm down, girl. It's just me."

Ianto winced like a parent embarrassed by their child's antics. "Sorry about that. She's been a bit protective lately."

Well, Jack certainly couldn't blame her on that. The tension didn't disappear magically but the air around the three of them wasn't quite so heavy anymore. For quite a while they all lingered in their thoughts.

In the end Jack inhaled heavily, deciding to make the first move. "Look… About what I said today…"

Ianto shook his head. Finally their eyes met properly. "You don't need to explain anything. Just… If you ever say that again… Be sure, alright?"

Jack nodded. Wishing that his throat had been able to push out everything there was building up immediately. Before it'd suffocate him. Not that he wouldn't survive a suffocation. He glanced towards Myfanwy who was still looking at him with sharp, suspicious eyes. "Is it safe to approach?" he inquired.

Ianto nodded, appearing more than a little amused. "If she'd want to peck your head off she would've done it by now. But you still need a peace offer." The younger man nodded towards his coat. "Search your pockets."

Quirking an eyebrow with interest Jack did as ordered, his motions so eager that it might've embarrassed him under different circumstances. What he found was cholate. He blinked at it once, twice. "How…?"

Ianto grinned widely. The mere sight of it was enough to make anyone feel warm all over. "Magic, sir."

Somehow no words were needed from that point on. Encouraged by Ianto's gesture Jack walked closer and slid to the floor beside his lover, one arm wrapping around the Welshman. The only thing that felt better than the warmth of Ianto's body was how the man leaned just a little bit closer. And that was how they sat for a very long time, soothing Myfanwy with chocolate and each other with silent promises.

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><p>A few days later Jack and Ianto were both amusingly tense and nervous as Owen helped them meet their unborn child for the second time. Again it took a bit of seeking and a few muttered, ill chosen words that earned a sharp glare from Ianto. But eventually a triumphant look appeared to Owen's face. "Here we go! A slippery devil, this one."<p>

Unable and unwilling to contain their curiosity Jack and Ianto both looked at the screen. A rather adorably synced gasp left them. Their child had grown up so much that it was unbelievable. The baby actually looked like a tiny human being, now. One that was sleeping and sucking their thumb. In fact, the baby had grown up so much that it was possible to distinguish certain delicate areas.

Jack leaned closer to the screen. And closer. And closer. Then frowned. "Wait a minute… Isn't that…?"

Owen smirked. "Or rather, 'there isn't'." The doctor focused on the baby. "Unless the brat is as good at hiding… stuff as you two, I'm pretty sure that you're going to have a baby girl."

For a moment Ianto was so still and pale that it truly worried the two others. Then smiled in a way they'd never seen before. "A girl…" The archivist's gaze shifted towards Jack after a prolonged stare at the monitor. "You know what this means. You owe me a…"

Instantly Owen winced and lifted his hands in surrender, effectively cutting off the Welshman. "Whatever it is, I don't want to hear." The doctor gave them a threatening glare. "This is probably one of those moments during which you'd want some privacy so I'll… just, you know, go, for a bit. But no shagging on that table, understood? Or there'll be horrible consequences."

"Really, now?" Jack's eyebrow bounced up. "What sort of consequences?"

Someone who hadn't been through the things that the couple had might've been intimitated by the look in Owen's eyes. Or at least creeped out. "I'm creative."

Somehow Jack and Ianto managed to keep it together until the doctor had walked off. As soon as the Londoner was out of earshot they began to giggle like a pair of five-year-olds. "I suppose that it wouldn't do any good to tell him that his warning came too late?" Jack mused out loud.

"Don't worry", Ianto, who'd managed to get a hold of himself by then, reassured him. The Welshman seemed unable to stop grinning. "I was very careful with hiding the evidence."

Jack smirked and gave the younger man a kiss. His eyes refused to stop sneaking glances towards the monitor's screen. Their impossible baby girl. Their miracle. "You would've made a disturbingly good criminal mastermind if you'd chosen a different side of the law."

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><p>Another few days later found Ianto returning from purchasing cleaning up supplies that'd take care of the mess left to the Hub by their latest extra terrestrial visitor. He groaned when his cell phone began to ring. He didn't even have to look at the caller ID to know who it was. "Jack, I left less than twenty minutes ago and this is the fourth time you're calling me." While it was very adorable, almost touching, it was harboring becoming irritating. Clearly the captain didn't like having him out of his sight.<p>

"_Did you remember the disinfectant?_"

Ianto couldn't help but smile. "I did. Everything's alright. I'll see you soon." With that he hung up.

Putting his cell phone to his coat's pocket Ianto began to step to the road, noticing that he had a green light. What he didn't notice was the police car speeding his way, sirens blaring and charging violently against a red light. Fortunately someone else did notice.

Ianto gasped when all of a sudden a pair of tender yet firm arms yanked him backwards. Just seconds before there would've been a collision. While the burst of air from the passing by vehicle caressed his hair Ianto's wide eyes met his rescuer.

Tall, dark and well built. Dark eyes. With an air of something very, very familiar that Ianto just couldn't put his finger on. "You just…" He gasped for a one more time, pleased to have his breath back properly. "Thank you."

The stranger smiled at him. "No problem. But you really should be more careful." Slowly, a bit too much so for comfort, the man let go of him. "Have a good day."

Ianto could only nod, his throat very dry all of a sudden. "You too." With that he began to walk on, some nagging voice inside urging him to hurry away from the stranger who just saved his life.

Walking the opposite way Gray let a small, chilling smile appear to his lips. Only about twenty weeks left, now. All in a good time.

Jack wouldn't know what hit his new so-called family until it was too late.

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><p>TBC<p>

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><p>AN: Now that ended on a rather chilling note… (shudders) Just what is Gray planning? And how will the pregnacy AND our beloved couple's relationship develop?

Thoughts? Comments? PLEASE, do let me know!

I've reeeeeeally gotta get going now. I've got a sinfully early morning ahead of me tomorrow. Until next time! I REALLY hope that I'll see ya all then.

Take care!

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><p><strong>Guest<strong>: I'd say! (shudders) Now that's the question, isn't it? We'll see just what his plan is…

Massive thank yous for the review!


	6. Calm Before a Hurricane

A/N: Oh dang…! I'm so, so sorry about the delay! (winces) Real life got a little hectic AND I've been wrapping up some other projects. BUT, now it's FINALLY updating time! Hooray?

Thank you so, so much for your reviews and support! I hope that you know how much they mean to me. (HUGS)

Awkay, because I've already kept you waiting too long… Le's go! I truly hope that this turns out worth the wait.

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><p>Calm Before a Hurricane<p>

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><p>It had been a very, very tough day. Jack didn't die but he came dangerously close to losing pretty much his entire team. His one and only comfort was that at least Ianto was safe at the Hub.<p>

By the time Jack finally stumbled in, after announcing that the others had no business showing up for two full days unless it was the end of the world, night had fallen long since. The lights, however, were on. He frowned, looking around. "Ianto?" No reply. His stomach twisted although he knew that the worries were ridiculous. "Yan? Where are you?"

That was when Jack noticed something that brought a smile to his face. Left to Ianto's desk were two extremely delicious looking sandwiches, along with a bottle of sparkling water. There was also a note, written in the Welshman's familiar handwriting.

'_Don't you dare come to bed on an empty stomach._'

Jack ate obediently although he didn't exactly feel hungry. The horror images of the past few hours were still plaguing his mind. As soon as he was done he headed towards his bed, unsurprised to find it already occupied. A wide grin appeared to his face, chasing away some of the shadows in his eyes.

Ianto had probably fought a long and brave battle but eventually exhaustion had won. The Welshman was sound asleep, curled up with one hand pressed against his twenty-one weeks pregnant belly. What really caught Jack's attention, however, was what lay underneath the other hand. It was a book about pregnancy, describing the experience from week to week. The Captain couldn't stop his heart from fluttering, just a little bit.

He knew that Ianto still had a lot of fears and insecurities when it came to the pregnancy and parenthood in general. Several of them were very well justified. And although Jack hated himself for such selfish thoughts for a long time he'd been terrified out of his mind that the archivist would decide against keeping the baby. But this… This was definitely a positive sign. It felt incredibly good to see Ianto opening up to the idea of parenthood in his own small way.

Unable to stop himself Jack approached and pressed a small, stunningly tender kiss to Ianto's forehead. He didn't realize that one of his hands pressed gently against the younger man's stomach. Someone else did notice.

Jack froze completely when he felt what could only be described a thrust, aimed at his hand with a stunning amount of force. When the intrusive limb refused to budge the motion repeated itself. Then again. Jack's eyes widened while a comical expression took over his face.

"I do appreciate the humor of this situation", a sleepy voice murmured, carrying a thick accent. "But… Would you mind moving your hand? You're over-stimulating our daughter."

Jack stared at Ianto, still feeling a little overwhelmed. "She's… I just…"

Ianto smiled softly. "I know. I've felt it for a few weeks, now. Thought I'd keep it a secret until she'd be able to surprise you, too."

Jack swallowed thickly, focusing firmly on Ianto's slightly swollen belly. Memories that he'd fought hard to leave behind stung as they resurfaced. "I… remember the feeling", he murmured, not quite sure if he wanted the other to hear or not. "It's amazing." The experience in a whole had been… well, unpleasant. But he did love this part.

Most people would've asked too many questions. But Ianto wasn't most people. And instead of invading memories that Jack wasn't quite ready to share yet the Welshman shifted, making a little bit more room for him. "Just lay down. You're exhausted and so am I. You can continue harassing our little princess tomorrow."

Jack couldn't resist a smile. "Princess, huh?" That was certainly a step forward from Peanut.

Ianto snuggled closer with a demanding little growl. "Let me sleep. Or else, I swear…"

Jack silenced the threat with a long, passionate kiss to the younger man's lips.

In a few minutes Ianto was fast asleep once more. Jack couldn't find rest. Instead he pulled the archivist closer, as much as humanly possible. He found himself imagining what their daughter would look like, how she'd fit in to their bizarre Torchwood family. He found himself imagining a family. And somehow that was one of the most terrifying things he'd ever faced in his entire life.

* * *

><p>It didn't take long before the girls caught on that Jack could feel the baby kicking. He made it all too obvious with his inability to stop brushing Ianto's stomach on occasion, especially when he needed a little comfort or a distraction. From thereon it was a mad game of them both trying to feel the movements as well and Ianto doing his best to escape the unwanted attention. The baby also seemed to try and avoid their approaches. The silly little contest was finally resolved when Ianto was twenty-four weeks along.<p>

Tosh arched an eyebrow when she walked by the coffee machine to see Ianto standing there, rubbing soothing circles on his belly with a frown. He seemed a little paler than usual but also surprised. "Is the little one giving you a hard time?" she inquired.

Ianto's frown deepened. "I think she's making backflips. Or doing yoga. She's… never done anything like this before."

Tosh approached almost cautiously. She could tell that Jack was watching them from his office and knew from experience that upsetting Ianto would upset the Captain. And none of them wanted the over protective Captain to get upset. "Can I…?"

She fully expected Ianto to refuse. He'd never been exactly comfortable with physical contact, after all. She wasn't sure which one of them was more surprised when he nodded instead.

Wasting no time Tosh approached still and slowly, tentatively, placed her hand against the still barely visible swell. Nothing. She was already about to pull her hand away when she felt it.

A bizarre fluttering that soon turned into what felt like caresses.

Ianto chuckled breathlessly. "That's new. You should feel the kicks she throws at Jack."

For a few moments Tosh could only stare. Then, slowly, a wide smile appeared to her face. The motions underneath her hand continued, as though the baby had sensed her delight. "That makes it official, then", she declared a little more proudly than she'd intended. "I'm her favorite aunt."

"You are." And then, as though something remarkable hadn't just happened, Ianto focused on what he'd been doing before the baby began to act up. "So, coffee?"

* * *

><p>Jack knew that the pregnancy hadn't been exactly a smooth ride for Ianto. And he was also painfully aware that he wasn't always exactly the perfect boyfriend. If a boyfriend was what he was, anyway. And on the day Ianto hit week twenty-five he decided that it was high time to make up for it. They needed a break from all worries and horrors, anyway.<p>

Harkness style.

Well, Ianto wasn't exactly relaxed when he led the blindfolded man. A hand was squeezing Jack's wrist so hard that it made him want to wince. "Where are you taking me?" the Welshman demanded, futilely attempting to make his tone sound light. "Would I have needed my gun?"

Jack smirked. "Doubt it. There won't be a lot of people to shoot at." And that was when they reached their destination. A nearly childish little smirk took over the Captain's face while he began to take off the blindfold. "Besides, I was aiming towards making this a pleasant surprise."

Ianto blinked twice, adjusting his eyes. And then gasped loudly. Were the man's eyes a little moist? Hormones at work, definitely. "Jack…!"

They stood on one of Jack's favorite rooftops. In one of the places the older man had never, ever shared with anyone before. It opened a baffling view to the city. In the dark of a fast approaching night the streets below spread like rivers of gold. With how high up they were the noise of the rest of the world was barely even a background noise.

It was just the two of them in their own little world.

And there, just a few steps away, was a picnic basket. Jack had been careful to choose his lover's favorite special treats. Including strawberries and whipped cream. The miraculous things Ianto could do with whipped cream…!

Jack glanced towards the younger man. He grinned proudly at what he discovered. "Can I assume that you like my little surprise?"

Ianto didn't say a word. Instead the Welshman kissed him, with such feral passion that it quite literally made Jack's heart skip a couple of valuable beats. And then he was responding, with such fervor he couldn't remember feeling ever before. And considering the years he'd lived that was saying a lot.

That evening they made love right there on the rooftop, with only the stars as their witnesses. So what if the roof was too hard and the chilly wind bit both of them? It was their very own little perfection. And even if the whipped cream never got to meet the strawberries it was certainly put into a good use.

* * *

><p>The race against time began with something as simple as a small dizzy spell.<p>

One moment Ianto was working at the achives like he did almost every single day. Focusing on three things all at once, which was also nothing unheard of. And then the world swayed unpleasantly around him.

Ianto gasped and slammed his hand against the nearest wall, so hard that his knuckles turned white. His knees buckled and it took all his willpower to remain standing. But he won the battle. Eventually. Which didn't make the black spots dancing in his line of vision any less unpleasant and disconcerting.

Ianto's still spinning head buzzed while he attempted to sort out his thoughts. Jack was away in a important, very unpleasant meeting. Good. The Captain wouldn't have to know about this. Yet, at least.

Ianto took a deep breath. He was pleased to discover that the floor wasn't trying to disappear from underneath his feet anymore. Small mercies… His finger wasn't quite steady while he tapped on his ear com. "Owen? Do you…?" He cleared his throat. "Do you have a moment?"

A quick inspection revealed what Ianto had already been suspecting. His blood pressure was elevated to far from acceptable numbers. Owen frowned at the discovery.

"I'm going to take some blood samples", the doctor announced in a tense tone. The look aimed his way wasn't exactly pleased. "Don't tell me that this was the first warning sign you've had. No offence but you looked like hell. And I knew that I should've kept a closer eye on your weight."

Ianto didn't look at the other man, instead focused unhealthily intently on the process of his blood being drawn. "I've had a few headaches. And I've been tired. But… It's the other pains that I've been worrying about."

He could feel Owen's eyes on him. "Other pains?" The doctor groaned. "Why do I have a feeling that I'm not going to like this…"

Ianto took a deep breath and gritted his teeth. "It's… my back, and my pelvis. The baby's growing and… It feels like she doesn't quite fit anymore." He held a small pause, fearing that his voice might break if he'd continue too soon. "My body… I can tell that it's trying to adjust but… It doesn't do so quickly enough." He took a deep breath, feeling the baby moving inside him. As though she'd been attempting to offer him comfort. "I'm a 21st century human, Owen. I wasn't… designed for… _this_." Finally he managed to gather his courage enough to look at the doctor. The expression he found certainly didn't offer any reassurance. "The baby's going to grow a lot during this third trimester. Will my body be able to handle it?"

Owen gulped. Loudly. "Honestly?" There was a moment of uncharacteristic hesitation. "At some point we may have to consider how long you'll be able to carry the baby without being torn to shreds." The man shifted with discomfort. "You really should tell Jack about this…"

Ianto shook his head instantly. "Tell him what? That our baby may be killing me? No!" He shook his head again for good measure. "We'll… We'll figure this out somehow. He doesn't have to know." He wasn't about to make Jack choose, not over this.

Owen sighed heavily. The doctor rubbed his face harshly with both hands. "He's going to go ballistic when he finds out. You do get that, don't you?"

Ianto brought a hand to his belly. Savoured the feel of the life growing inside him. And wondered if he was out of his mind. "Then we'll make sure that he won't find out until it's too late to go ballistic."

* * *

><p>John Hart was confident enough to claim that he was a tough man to find. Especially when he didn't want to be found. And with his track record he could list a quite impressive amount of people that he really, truly didn't want to be found by.<p>

He'd been lucky remarkably long but even his luck was bound to run out at some point.

He was just about to down a yet another drink when a much too familiar presence made him stiffen. It was soon followed by the about last voice he wanted to hear. "John… fucking… Hart. You know, I could almost imagine that you've been avoiding me. Such is very insulting." A hard hand was placed on his shoulder. "It's your luck that I'm in a forgiving mood."

John gritted his teeth painfully hard. Then finally consumed his drink before deciding to test both his voice and his luck. "What do you want?" His tone was almost flat. He had no idea how he managed that.

"What I want… is to make someone suffer." Gray's hand patted him, uncomfortably close to his crotch. "And you're going to help me do that, aren't you?"

* * *

><p>TBC<p>

* * *

><p>AN: Oh man… This sooooo isn't good news! (winces) Poor Ianto! And what happens when Jack finds out just what the pregancy is doing to him? And what about this other threat looming on them…?

Thoughts? Rants? There's a box down below juuuuuuuust for those. (Oh, I'm so not hinting anything!)

I've really gotta go now. I really hope that I'll see you guys next time!

Take care!

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><p><strong>Guest<strong>: I'm thrilled to hear that you enjoyed it! (BEAMS) Heh, we'll see what they shall name their bundle of joy. Let's just hope that Gray won't steal that opportunity from them…

Colossal thank yous for the review!

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><p><strong>TJ<strong>: Awww, of course I will! I really hope that what's to come turns out worth the wait.

Massive thank yous for the review!


	7. Heart to Hart

A/N: HOORAY! I did manage to update right on time. Although it did come pretty close. (BEAMS)

First, though… THANK YOU, so very much, for your reviews and support! They mean more than you could ever imagine to me. So thank you!

Awkay, before I get so sappy that it'd make Owen gag… Let's go! I truly hope that you'll enjoy the ride.

(A small additional note: I've been dreaming of using this chapter title from the start, LOL!)

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><p>Heart to Hart<p>

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><p>When Ianto was thirty weeks pregnant Gwen entered the Hub to discover a very, very bizarre sight. The green room, as it had been, no longer existed. Only a couple of plants had been left to remind what it used to be. Looking towards it with wide, slightly alarmed eyes she was able to spot a shadow moving inside in busy patterns.<p>

If Gwen had been slightly worried before it changed to a mixture of alarm and fondness at what she found upon reaching the room. Jack was in there, his trademark coat abandoned who knows where. The man was organizing what seemed to be everything necessary imaginable for a baby. A crib was in the making, a feeding chair was fully ready although it wouldn't be needed in a long while, toys, books… It took Gwen's shocked mind a few moments to properly catch on what she was seeing.

Jack Harkness was nesting.

Gwen just couldn't hold it in any longer. She broke into a grin. "This has to be one of the cutest things I've ever seen."

Jack grinned back. The man seemed so proud of himself that it would've melted even the stoniest of hearts. "Ianto dragged me shopping. He insisted that we have to be prepared early." Well, it didn't look like the Captain minded terribly. The man looked at all the items around him, appearing both amazed and a little nervous. "I… didn't remember that there'd be this much stuff involved."

Gwen smiled, looking around. The whole room… looked so very un-Torchwood-like that it was stunning. It was like a tiny fortress of peace and comfort inside the madhouse. It was terrifyingly easy to imagine that no evils could ever come inside the fresh-created nursery's four walls. "You've done a fantastic job. Ianto's going to love this", she complimented. A frown appeared to her face when she looked around. "Where is he?"

"I sent him to get some rest when I caught him reading an instruction manual upside down." Jack sounded between amused and worried. "The baby's been using his insides as a punching back for the past few nights. He thinks that I don't wake up every time he leaves the bed and starts pacing."

Gwen had to bite her tongue to keep herself from pointing out just how heartwarming that sounded. Instead she winced. "Poor thing."

"Yeah." Jack appeared childishly grumpy for a moment when the crib seemed to be too much of a challenge. "And he still works almost thirteen hours a day."

Gwen's eyes widened. She couldn't have heard correctly, right? "What? Jack…!"

The Captain lifted his hands in surrender. "I've told him to slow down. Owen's told him to slow down. You think he listens?"

Well, that did sound like Ianto. "How did you manage to make him take a break now?" Gwen couldn't help but be a little curious.

Jack focused intently on the still very much in progress item. "I did something that I'm not proud of." The Captain actually looked a little sheepish. "I threatened the coffee machine."

Gwen couldn't help it anymore. She burst into a laughter, shaking her head. "I swear, you two…!" She then shook her head again, still chuckling. "Now let me help with that thing. Ianto's going to put you on decaf if you break it."

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><p>Ianto knew full well that he was supposed to avoid strenuous physical activities. It was a fact that even Jack had taken almost terrifyingly seriously. But as his pregnancy began to show just a little more clearly, so that even his most loose coat was barely able to disguise it, and he felt the strain it put his body through he needed a distraction. Something to ease his screaming head. And so he headed for a run.<p>

It felt amazing. The air caressing his face, the way his muscles functioned, to feel in control for at least a tiny moment. But of course he didn't make it very far.

After about twenty minutes the furious kicking in his stomach and the hellish burning in his lungs forced Ianto into sitting to a bench that opened a stunningly beautiful view to a park. Despite himself he ended up watching how a group of children ran around, laughing wildly as they went. A heavy feeling settled to the pit of his stomach and his whole body tensed up.

Half subconsciously one of his hands found its way to the still very small swell. The baby responded to his soft, caressing motions with something that felt oddly like vibrations. Funny, she never did that to anyone else. "I swear that I'll do whatever I can to hang in there, kiddo", he murmured, carefully making sure that no one would hear. He fought back the annoying stinging that threatened to fill his eyes, mentally cursing the hormones that'd taken over him. "Your pa… He's already lost too much. And I'm not planning on being your first. Or losing you."

According to Owen his body still wasn't adjusting quite fast enough. And considering Torchwood's equipment they didn't have what it took to handle a premature baby. The baby was too small and Ianto couldn't take her becoming much bigger. They were at a maddening standstill.

Just a few more weeks, that was all he asked for. Thirty six or seven wasn't full term yet but should be safe enough. If he'd manage to hang on until then…

Bloody hell, he _was_ going to hang on until then!

Newfound determination filled Ianto and he pushed himself up with a deep breath. His eyes focused on the landscape ahead, locking on a new destination. And then he was running once more.

The idea of stopping was unacceptable.

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><p>Jack groaned when he woke up for the third time that night to Ianto sliding gently out of the bed. The Welshman did his best to leave subtly and unnoticeably, he always did, but no matter how deep in a sleep the Captain lingered he noticed the absence of his lover every single time. He yawned and crawled out of the bed, listening to the sounds of Ianto moving around in the Hub.<p>

Following the noise Jack couldn't help but smile at what he found. With Ianto wearing a worn t-shirt and a pair of loose pants Jack was pleased to get a view of how their daughter was growing. The swell of Ianto's stomach, no matter how small, was definitely one of the most beautiful things he'd ever seen. Even if the commotion inside it was causing that look of near anguish on the younger man's face.

Jack frowned while he approached. "Is she giving you a hard time again?" Like that much hadn't been obvious.

Ianto looked at him with a hint of guilt. "Sorry. I wasn't supposed to wake you up."

Jack shrugged. "I'm rather awake if our daughter is keeping you from sleeping." He gestured towards the nearby couch. "Now get over here before you fall down."

Ianto obeyed gladly and Jack wasted no time before sitting right beside his lover. The younger man gave him a surprised look when he guided the Welshman to lie down so that the man's head rested on his lap. "Just trust me and relax", he instructed.

They both knew that it wasn't that simple. Trust wasn't a small step for Ianto. But still, when his fingers began to massage the Welshman's head the archivist closed his eyes and relaxed completely to his touch. Like it was the most natural thing in the world. Jack's heart thudded over the discovery.

He already imagined that Ianto had fallen asleep when the man's eyes opened halfway. "Jack? The new nursery's amazing." A small yet incredibly beautiful smile appeared to the Welshman's lips. "You'll be a great dad."

Jack placed a soft kiss to the man's lips. He hoped that it spoke more than a thousand words. "So will you." He knew that much although he was sure that Ianto still doubted himself. How could he not be sure when he had his family right there, safe in his arms? He then continued the massaging. "Now sleep. As adorable as you are when you're drowsy the two of you need some proper rest."

A couple of hours later they'd both fallen into a peaceful slumber. That was how the team found them when coming to work the following morning. Tosh squealed, careful to keep it quiet enough to not disturb their much needed sleep. Gwen smiled and covered them both with a blanket. Owen snapped a picture with his smartphone, then went to work. If there was a hint of softness in his eyes no one would have to know.

It wasn't until two hours later a Rift alert forced the lovers back into the waken world.

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><p>Against all odds Ianto made it to the thirty-fifth week of his pregnancy. But he could tell that the time to make some dramatic, horrifying decisions was growing closer. Decisions that he would've never, ever wanted to face.<p>

Perhaps Jack sensed his need for a break. Because on Friday the Captain announced that they'd go out for some fun and fresh air. Ianto had very little objections to that.

He must've been even more tired than he'd imagined. Because one moment he was sitting contently while Jack drove, admiring the star filled sky. And the next he woke up to a stunningly gentle kiss to the top of his head. "Open your eyes, Sleeping Beauty." The older man seemed more than a little apologetic. "I know that you need the rest but…"

Ianto grinned, kissing the other's lips. For a few moments their taste was enough to chase away all worries and sorrows. "I wouldn't want to sleep through our date", he murmured, licking his lips. He groaned at the kicking that started as soon as Jack's natural scent filled all of his mind. _Those pheromones…! _"Not like Princess would even let me."

Jack grinned. Was that excitement shining in his eyes? "Can I…?"

Ianto nodded, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. Like it even needed asking… "She's your baby too, you know", he pointed out softly.

Usually someone touching his belly made Ianto stiffen and feel unbearably uncomfortable. But not Jack's touch. Of course not.

The instant Jack's hand contacted with him the baby's kicks became noticeably more forceful. As though she'd been demanding his attention. When the Captain chuckled and squeezed tighter their daughter grew more determined as well. Enough so to make Jack gasp with surprise.

For Ianto it was too much, all of it. Hard as he tried to control his reactions a couple of tears rolled down his cheeks while he watched and felt his lover and their child interact. It wast the most beautiful thing he'd ever experienced. Stunning and bittersweet.

Seeing his reaction Jack frowned, visibly worried. The man's confused eyes asked long before a single word came out. "Ianto?"

Instead of offering feeble words Ianto slammed his lips against Jack, sealing the Captain into a kiss that took both their breath away. After a moment of stun the immortal caught on, responded with at least as much passion and meaning. They allowed that single gesture to speak out all the words they'd never, ever manage to say out loud. No matter how many nights they'd shared a bed somehow that stolen moment managed to be the most intimate one they'd ever had.

When it was over they still lingered, panting with their foreheads pressed together. Looking at each other with dazed eyes. "Well", Jack gasped, pulling him closer with his free hand. Impossibly close. "We should've done that, the last time we were here."

Ianto frowned. The kiss and the baby's continued movements were making him feel a little lightheaded. "What?"

Jack nodded towards the car's door. "We'll have to step outside. Then you'll see."

Neither of them wanted to leave the comfortably warm vehicle, even less the air of closeness that'd wrapped around them like a blanket. But they couldn't just stay there all night. With a great deal of reluctance they emerged. And Ianto froze with a gasp as soon as he realized where they were.

It was the same place where they met for the very first time, what felt like a lifetime ago.

Jack's arms wrapped around him from behind, pulling him close to the man's welcomed warmth. "The moment I saw you I knew that there was something special about you." The Captain sighed. "It took us a while to get it right." All the pain, hurt and heartache… The betrayal and tears…

Ianto leaned further backwards, so that his head rested against Jack's firmly beating heart. "Well, we're here now." Wasn't 'now' all anyone ever really had? He smiled at some sweet memories. "I wouldn't change it for the world." How could he ever regret any of this? Even with all the threat and uncertainties. He'd never, ever regret this impossible, wonderful man or their daughter.

Jack was silenced by stun for a long moment. The Captain swallowed loudly and trembled just a little bit against Ianto. "Then make it official and marry me."

Instantly ice cold water flowed all the way through Ianto. The entire massive weight of the situation crashed mercilessly on him, nearly dropping him to the ground. "What…?"

Jack was serious, he could tell that much. But… How could he promise the rest of his life to the Captain when…? This time he didn't even notice the tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Ianto?" Jack's hold on him tightened a little. The man's heartbeat quickened as it without a doubt began to break.

Ianto never had to answer. Because just then a entirely too familiar voice spoke from behind them. "While this is all very entertaining we're on a bit of a schedule here." They spun around just in time to see John Hart pointing a gun. "Jack… Ianto… I'm sorry, but this isn't going to be pleasant." With that the former Time Agent pulled the trigger.

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><p>TBC<p>

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><p>AN: Oh crap…! But I suppose that we all knew this moment would have to come eventually. We'll see just how 'unpleasant' things are going to get…

Sooooo… Thoughts? Comments? Please, do drop those to the box below!

Until next time, folks! I really hope that you'll stop by then as well. The ride's just about to get rough…

Take care!

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><p><strong>Guest<strong>: I know, right? (sighs) Let's just hope that our lovely little family will be okay.

Monumental thank yous for the review!


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